WINNERS OF SCIENCE FAIR SENIOR DIVISION
The 61st Hawai ‘ i State Science & Engineering Fair took place March 28-30th at the Hawai ‘ i Convention Center . Through a generous donation from the Friends of the UH Cancer Center , three students in the senior division were presented a special UH Cancer Center award . The winners were selected based on an original idea , presentation skills and creative poster design .
FIRST PLACE ($ 300 AWARD )
NALANI MILLER Kamehameha School , Kapalama 11th grade
SECOND PLACE ($ 200 AWARD )
TERRIC ABELLA Kamehameha School , Kapalama 12th grade
THIRD PLACE ($ 100 AWARD )
MARY WINNICKI & RYAN PARK Punahou School 10th and 11th grades
The Anticancer and Anti- Bacterial Properties of the MacArthur Palm ( Ptycosperma macarthurii )”
Inspired by a tree growing in her own backyard Miller decided to test the seeds of the tree for anticancer properties . She baked the seeds at a low temperature then extracted the contents , which she tested on cervical and myeloma cancer cells and discovered that the extract inhibited growth on both cell lines .
Synergistic Relationship of Withaferin A and Cisplastin in the Treatment of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer ”
Abella participated in an internship at the University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute . During his seven-week internship he conducted research testing Withaferin A and Cisplatin extracts on breast cancer cells . Withaferin A is a natural product extracted from a plant used in traditional Indian ayurvedic medicine that has demonstrated anti-angiogenesis and anti-tumor activity . Cisplatin is a well-known anticancer chemotherapy drug that has been used to treat many different types of cancers . Abella ’ s research showed that these extracts inhibited triple-negative breast cancer cell survival .
Key G Proteins Act as tumor Suppressors in Colorectal Cancer ”
This team looked at the G proteins associated with poor prognosis and survival of colon cancer . They found that two of the G proteins ( Gα1 and Gα3 ) acted as tumor suppressors on cancer cells . They plan to see how the G proteins are associated with metastasis .
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